1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of voting booths and, more particularly to portable voting booths that may be assembled at polling places for use during elections. Still more specifically, the voting booths may be placed into a case for ease of transport and storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable voting booths are used to equip polling places, such as public schools, with voting devices on a temporary basis. Portable voting booths should not be so heavy that a single person has difficulty lifting the equipment, and it is desirable that the booths can be folded into a compact, stackable structure for transportation and storage. A portable voting booth structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,7565 to Sarner et al, which describes a booth with a folding leg assembly that facilitates frontal access by handicapped persons. Frontal access of the type generally disclosed, or other accommodations, are generally required by law to permit persons who use wheelchairs equal access to the voting equipment. A case assembly has a tripartite bivalve construction that is required to hide the folding legs when the legs are folded for storage. This structure is required to protect and hide the folding legs, adding weight and complexity to the overall system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,240 to Boram shows a voting station that has no legs; however, the structure is required to extraordinarily large and bulky due to a square frame support that contacts the ground. Frontal access by disable persons is made difficult or impossible because the support frame blocks such access. U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,365 to Gerbel et al. is similarly disadvantaged due to deployment of a collapsible table height machine having an A-frame wheel base that prevents frontal access by wheel-chair bound persons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,904 to Stephens describes a portable voting booth or lectern that may be disassembled into various components; however, there is no system for controlling the respective disassembled components for transportation or storage. Thus, the respective components are easily lost or damaged.
The present voting booth overcomes the problems outlined above and advances the art by providing a compact portable voting booth that occupies an exceptionally small volume and has an unusually light weight. The potable voting booth advantageously has an open front that facilitates access by persons who use wheelchairs.
According to the various embodiments and instrumentalities of the invention, the portable voting booth comprises a bivalve case that includes a lower shell having an electronic voting device mounted thereon, an upper shell, and a coupler such as a hinge connecting the upper shell to the lower shell. The coupler permits pivotal motion of the upper and lower shells with respect to one another between an open configuration and a closed configuration. A pair of privacy screens are selectively positionable between the upper shell and the lower shell to impede unauthorized viewing of the electronic voting device from side perspectives during voting process. A selectively disassemblable frame is coupled with the lower shell to support the same at an angle that facilitates authorized viewing of the electronic voting device during the course of voting processes. Receptacles are formed in at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell have complimentary shapes with respect to disassembled components of the selectively disassemblable frame. The receptacles permit retention of the frame components during transportation and storage of the portable voting booth.
In preferred but optional embodiments, the upper shell and lower shell, when pivoted to meet one another in the closed configuration with the privacy screens removed from their positions of normal use, form an internal compartment having sufficient dimensions to retain the electronic voting device and the privacy screens. The bivalve case may comprise a lock mechanism opposite the coupler to prevent unauthorized access to the electronic voting device when the bivalve case is in the closed configuration. The lower shell may, for example, comprise a buss for coupling the electronic voting device to a network.
The frame may comprise a plurality of tubular members that coupled to one another by telescoping clip latches. The receptacles may also function to accommodate corresponding portions of the tubular members and support the lower shell at the angle by virtue of contact with the corresponding portions. A foot bracket may receive two generally upright members forming a triangle with the lower shell and a forward extending horizontal member that imparts stability against tipping by virtue of contact against the ground.
In use, the bivalve case is opened from a closed configuration, and the privacy screens are pivoted into a position of normal operation. Disassembled components of the selectively disassemblable frame are detached from the receptacles that are formed, for example, in the lower shell of the bivalve case. The disassembled components are assembled into a working frame assembly, and voting operations are able to commence with use of the portable voting booth. The lightweight, simple construction facilitates ease of handling, as well as rapid setup and disassembly.
Additional features, objects, and advantages of the portable voting booth will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following specification and the accompanying drawings.